For release: April 23, 2012
For press information, contact Curt Guenther, 901/678-2843

A ceremony fit for a king – or a pharaoh – will formally welcome Ramesses II to his new home at the University of Memphis campus on Tuesday, April 24, at 4 p.m.  The 25-foot, 5,000-pound likeness of the ancient Egyptian ruler will be moved from its former site at The Pyramid in Downtown Memphis to its new site between the University’s Music Building and Theatre Building along Central Avenue.

At the U of M, Ramesses II will reign over the University’s Egyptology program, Egyptian artifacts in the Art Museum, and the Institute of Art and Archaeology.

The Memphis, Tenn., replica of the original 50-ton Ramesses II has stood outside The Pyramid in Memphis since 1991. It is modeled after a figure at the site of the ancient city of Memphis, which is near modern Cairo.

The city of Memphis is leasing the statue to the University for $1 annually for 99 years.  That fee is being paid by a private donor.